Pima County Sheriff's Department

Notification Details

Press Release

Sheriff’s Department Cuts Deficit Without Cutting Service

Sent on 9/6/2017 3:17:44 PM

Early in Fiscal Year 2016-2017 (FY16/17, July 2016 – June 2017), it was apparent the Pima County Sheriff’s Department was spending at a pace which would likely lead to record deficit spending levels. A FY16/17 2nd quarter worst-case scenario predicted a $7,000,000 deficit for the Department, unless spending behaviors were drastically altered. On December 12, 2016, a memorandum issued by the County Administrator’s Office predicted the Sheriff’s Department year-end forecasting, “exceeding its budgeted spending by more than $4.5 million.”
Upon taking office on January 1, 2017, Sheriff Napier directed a series of actions to reduce spending and for the whole Department to be fiscally responsible. Those measures included:
• Flattening the organizational structure by eliminating a Chief of Staff, Bureau Chief, Captain, and Lieutenant positions, and not filling the Chief Deputy position;
• Eliminating two executive administrative staff member positions;
• Monitoring and managing overtime expenditures;
• Adherence to Pima County policy regarding on-call pay;
• Reduction of vehicle fleet;
• And, for all Department members to be good stewards of taxpayer funds.
By the end of the 3rd quarter of the fiscal year, it was clear that Sheriff Napier’s directives were having a positive impact on reducing the projected deficit. The Sheriff’s Department ended FY16/17 having overspent its budget by $2,424,288. The Department was able to achieve a forty-six percent (46%) reduction of the County Administrator’s projected deficit of December 2016, in only six months.
To avoid deficit spending from occurring in the future, Sheriff Napier has directed budget accountability to be pushed down to the Department’s section and district commanders, and civilian managers. In the coming weeks, additional financial reports will be provided to the commanders and managers to further their situational awareness and operational oversight of their section budgets.
Sheriff Napier wishes to thank all the civilian staff members, corrections officers, deputies, dispatchers, transcriptionists, and remaining line staff of the Department who bore the brunt of maintaining exceptional service to Pima County while the budget was brought under control.